• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.581-593
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the work environments of dental hygienists to their occupational diseases in a bid to provide some information on their health care, health promotion and the prevention of occupational diseases. Methods : The subjects in this study were 300 dental hygienists who worked in Seoul, urban communities involving large cities and rural areas. One-on-one interviews and a self-administered survey were implemented with their consent. Results : The findings of the study were as follows: 1. 60 percent of the dental hygienists investigated replied that they had occupation-related physical symptoms. By the length of service, the dental hygienists who worked for six to 10 years had the most symptoms. 2. Out of the occupation-related symptoms, the most prevalent symptom was a pain in the shoulders and neck(41%), followed by a pain in the lower back, a pain in the legs, a pain in the wrists and skin diseases. The most painful parts of the body were hands and arms. 3. In regard to the relationship between the general characteristics and the intensity of pain, the highest group of the dental hygienists in Seoul replied that they had a severe pain, and the lowest number of those in the large cities gave the same answer. 4. Concerning the cause of occupational diseases, 65.7 percent cited the wrong posture. 5. As to relationship between the general characteristics and regular hospital-visit experiences for the prevention of pain during work hours, many of the dental hygienists who were in their 40s and 50s visited hospitals from time to time, and many of those in their 20s never did that. 6. In regard to links between the general characteristics and an opinion on the necessity of regular education, many of the respondents from Seoul and urban regions involving large cities considered it necessary to receive education on a regular basis. By daily work hours, the highest number of those who worked for eight hours or less considered that necessary, and lots of those who worked for 11 hours didn't consent to that. The gaps between them were statistically significant(p<0.05). Conclusions : Given the findings of the study, daily work hours and length of service were two integral factors to affect the regular hospital-visit experiences and pain, and the wrong posture was identified as the most common cause of occupational diseases. To ensure the successful prevention of occupational diseases, dental hygiene students should be taught the importance of occupational disease before they start to work, and supplementary education should be provided for dental hygienists to work in the right posture.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.731-736
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• 2015

Background: Little is known about the news coverage of cancer risk factors in Korea. This study aimed to examine how the news media encompasses a wide array of content regarding cancer risk factors and related cancer sites, and investigate whether news coverage of cancer risk factors is congruent with the actual prevalence of the disease. Materials and Methods: A content analysis was conducted on 1,138 news stories covered during a 5-year period between 2008 and 2012. The news stories were selected from nationally representative media in Korea. Information was collected about cancer risk factors and cancer sites. Results: Of various cancer risk factors, occupational and environmental exposures appeared most frequently in the news. Breast cancer was mentioned the most in relation to cancer sites. Breast, cervical, prostate, and skin cancer were overrepresented in the media in comparison to incidence and mortality cases, whereas lung, thyroid, liver, and stomach cancer were underrepresented. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this research is the first investigation dealing with news coverage about cancer risk factors in Korea. The study findings show occupational and environmental exposures are emphasized more than personal lifestyle factors; further, more prevalent cancers in developed countries have greater media coverage, not reflecting the realities of the disease. The findings may help health journalists and other health storytellers to develop effective ways to communicate cancer risk factors.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.735-749
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate airborne pollen counts, inhalant allergen sensitization rate, and allergic disease prevalence among elementary school children in Ulsan, South Korea during 2012-2018. Methods: Burkard samplers for pollen were installed on rooftops in suburban and urban areas in Ulsan. A 24-hour sampling of airborne allergens was conducted six days/week from January 1, 2013 to November 31, 2018. Skin prick tests were done with a total of 4,246 primary school students residing in urban and suburban areas in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018. This study examined sensitization to 20 major inhalant allergens. Results: The highest monthly counts of airborne pollen were observed in April and September each year. Among the pollen identified over the six years, pine showed the highest pollen counts (44.3%), followed by oak (22.3%), alder (6.3%) and Japanese hops (4.3%). Tree pollen predominated from March to June, and weed pollen predominated from August to October. Higher sensitization rates for inhalant allergens were observed in Dermatophagoides farinae (42.4%), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (43.6%), cat fur (12.1%), birch (9.9%), oak (9.6%), and alder (8.7%). The inhalant allergen sensitization rate was highest in the group with comorbidity (asthma and/or rhinitis and atopic dermatitis), and respiratory allergic disease (asthma and/or rhinitis) was higher than that of atopic dermatitis. Conclusion: Both the counts of tree pollen in the air and the sensitization rate for tree pollen were high in Ulsan. The temporal change in respiratory allergic diseases was similar to that for the sensitization rate of tree pollen, such as oak. In the future, it is considered that additional continuous research on various inhalant allergens and pollen should be conducted.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.675-684
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• 2017

Provider-oriented weather information has been rapidly changing to become more customer-oriented and personalized. Given the increasing interest in wellness and health topics, the demand for health weather information, and biometeorology, also increased. However, research on changes in the human body according to weather conditions is still insufficient due to various constraints, and interdisciplinary research is also lacking. As part of an effort to change that, this study surveyed medical practitioners at an actual treatment site, using questionnaires, to investigate what kind of weather information they could utilize. Although there was a limit to the empirical awareness that medical staff had about weather information, most respondents noted that there is a correlation between disease and weather, with cardiovascular diseases (coronary artery disease (98.5%) and hypertension (95.9% ), skin diseases (atopic dermatitis (100%), sunburn (93.8%)) being the most common weather-sensitive ailments. Although there are subject-specific differences, most weather-sensitive diseases tend to be affected by temperature and humidity in general. Respiratory and skin diseases are affected by wind and solar radiation, respectively.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.30 no.6 s.112
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• pp.551-559
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to find out morbidity rate and pattern of disease and affect of variables related disease and medical management of seafares'. The subjects this study were 1049 seafares' were took education in Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology. This questionnaire was focused on finding the basic data for prevention of disease and promotion health for the seafares'. The collected data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, cross tab, linear regression by SPSS 10.1 package. The result of this study are as follow. 1)The morbidity rate within recent 12 months was 69.0%. 2)there were significant differences qf occurred disease in age(p<0.05), income(p<0.01), career of ship on board(p<0.01), rank(p<.01), perceived health status(p<0.01), worry of health(p<0.01), fatigue symptoms(0.01), satisfy of job(p<0.05), rest time(p<0.05) 3) Considering disease unable to work more than 4 hour, the number of those who had oral disease 7.3%> tinea 6.6%> gastric ulcer 6.4, and musculoskeletal disease group were 20.9%, which revealed the highest rate oral disease 13.6%> skin disease> 12.4%, digestive disease> 12.1%. 4) As refer to medical management, The pain above 31days 35.7%, hospitalization and treatment below 7days were each 50.2%, 42.8%, medical service were doctor's office 27.9, which revealed the highest rate.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.144-149
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• 2014

Objectives: Nicotine is a natural alkaloid and insecticide in tobacco leaves. Green tobacco sickness (GTS) is known as a disease of acute nicotine intoxication among tobacco farmers. Until now, GTS has been recognized globally as a disease that results from nicotine absorption through the skin. However, we assumed that GTS might also result from nicotine inhalation as well as absorption. We aimed to measure the airborne nicotine concentrations in various work environments of Korean tobacco farmers. Methods: We measured the nicotine concentrations in the tobacco fields, private curing barns, and joint curing barns of farmers from July to October 2010. All sampling and analyses of airborne nicotine were conducted according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health manual of analytic methods. Results: The airborne nicotine concentrations (geometric mean [geometric standard deviation]) in the tobacco field were $83.4mg/m^3$ (1.2) in the upper region and $93.3mg/m^3$(1.2) in the lower region. In addition, the nicotine concentration by personal sampling was $150.1mg/m^3$. Similarly, the nicotine concentrations in the private curing barn, workers in curing barns, the front yard of the curing barn, and in the joint curing barn were $323.7mg/m^3$(2.0), $121.0mg/m^3$(1.5), $73.7mg/m^3$(1.7), and $610.3mg/m^3$(1.0), respectively. Conclusions: The nicotine concentration in the workplaces of tobacco farmers was very high. Future studies should measure the environmental concentration of nicotine that is inhaled by tobacco farmers.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.17-32
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• 1995

The purpose of this study is to promote health for young female workers. It is based on questionnaires collected from 215 female workers in Incheon area. This study includes health condition (fatigue scores), occupational disease, knowledge of abused drugs and the actual condition of drug use. The results are summerized as follows: - $47.4\%$ visited their health center and were treated with diseases like cold and headache $(34.9\%)$, gastroenteric disease $(6.5\%)$, trauma $(7.9\%)$ and chronic disease such as diabetes and hypertension $(3.3\%)$ - $44.7\%$ received regular health education and $4.7\%$ among them received education on abused drugs. - $20.5\%$ were suffering from work related diseases such as gastroenteric disease, headache, trauma, repiratory disease, skin problem, arthritis, low back pain, shortsightness and tuberculosis. - Total mean fatigue score as an indication of health status was $9.0\pm5.4$ points out of 30 points. Physical mean score (group I) was $3.92\pm2.2$ points and psychological mean score was $2.5\pm2.3$ points and neurosensory mean score was $2.6\pm2.1$ points out of each 10 points. - They recognized analgesics $(55.0\%)$ and the next are laxatives $(49.8\%)$, inhalants $(40.0\%)$, narcotics $(24.2\%)$, stimulants $(24.0\%)$, antihistamines$(5.9\%)$, diuretics $(3.0\%)$, tranquilizer $(2.4\%)$ and sedatives $(1.4\%)$ - They used analgesics $(37.2\%)$ the most and then laxatives $(6.0\%)$, stimulants$(5.6\%)$, diuretics $(1.9\%)$, antihistamines$(0.5\%)$, And nobody used tranquilizer, sedatives, narcotics and inhalant. - The relationship between career, drug abuse education, health center utilization and and the actual condition of drug using was examined. The longer the career and the more educated with drug abuse, the less drug used. And those who utilized health center rarely used more drugs. - The relationship between career, health center utilization, the score of fatigue and use of analgesics was also examined. Those group who have a longer career above 3 years and the group who have never used health center used more analgesics. And the group of fatigue score above 11.0 points used a little more analgesics than the other group. These results indicate that analgesics are the most frequent used drugs among female workers. Those analgesics such as geborin, penzal, saridon, aspirin, tyrenol should be used properly. These basic data is submitted for the education and consultation which are carried out by industrial nurses for promoting health of industrial workers.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.73-85
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• 2002

This study was conducted to examine community residents' knowledge level and related factor on electronic wave in order to provide basic data for development of education and publicity program. 2,000 people, who lived in five big cities and five small and medium cities, were selected ad subjects of this study. The data were collected from May 1, 200 I to August 31, 2001. The results of this study are as follows. According to the average knowledge level of harmful affect of electronic wave on health in general characteristics, female was higher(37.40 ± 5.24 points) than male; ‘forties’ was highest(37.77 ± 5.69 points); ‘married spouse’ was high(36.84 ± 5.59 points); ‘living in small-ta-medium city’ was high(36.84 ± 5.32 points). ‘university graduate’ was highest(37.41 ± 5.32 points) in education level, ‘middle class’ was high(36.61 ± 4.96 points) in economic status, ‘professional technician’ was higher(36.68 ± 6.55 points) than other occupations in occupational type. According to the knowledge level of harmful affect of electronic wave on health in health condition by self-judgment, ‘good health condition’ was highest(36.77 ± 4.99 points). In the case of the knowledge level of those who visited medical institutions for last one year, ‘never visited’ was highest(37.19 ± 5.02 points). In the kind of medical institutions, ‘those who visited general hospital’ was highest(36.58 ± 5.63 points). In the way of knowledge obtainments of electronic wave through education and publicity media, ‘school education’ was highest(37.55 ± 5.19 points). According to the score of awareness level of disease incidence related to electronic wave, allergy and erethism was highest(57.8 points on the basis of 100 points). It appeared in order of leukemia, skin disease or skin cancer, dementia, various cancers, cataract, and brain tumor. The variables which significantly influenced knowledge level of harm of electronic wave were knowledge obtainments of electronic wave, age, economic status, daily TV watching period, sex, period of daily cellular phone use, period of working with computer, and daily VTR watching period. The knowledge of community residents concerning harmful affect of electronic wave on health is needed because people's opportunity of exposing to electronic wave is increasing. Especially, it is the demands of the times to provide information on knowledge of each equipment which generate electronic wave. The government, the product manufacturing companies, related social organizations, and education institutions must make efforts to develop the education program which is needed to make people have right knowledge and attitude.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2010

Green tobacco sickness (GTS) is known as an occupational disease among tobacco harvesters, and a form of acute nicotine intoxication by the absorption of nicotine through the skin from the wet green tobacco plant. On the assumption that GTS may occur by inhalation as well as absorption of nicotine, we measured the airborne nicotine concentration in tobacco field and the processing room of tobacco leaves. We measured the airborne nicotine concentrations in the tobacco field and processing room between 13 and 30 July 2008. All sampling and analyses of airborne nicotine were conducted according to the manual of analytic methods of NIOSH 2551, and we sampled 2 times at 11 points in the tobacco field by area sampling. The sampling in the processing room of tobacco leaves was conducted at 3 points, and earlymorning dew was collected from the tobacco by wringing the moisture into specimen bottles. The airborne nicotine concentration [geometric mean (geometric standard deviation)] in the tobacco field in the P.M. was higher [49.2 mg/$m^3$ (1.3)] than the A.M. concentration [43.4 mg/$m^3$ (1.4)]. Similarly, the nicotine concentration in the processing room of tobacco leaves was 224.4 mg/$m^3$ (1.2), and the concentration of nicotine in the dew was 64.7 mg/${\ell}$ (1.7). Based on our results, the airborne nicotine concentration in the tobacco field and the processing room of tobacco leaves were 100 and 400 times higher than the occupational recommended values (TLV-TWA of 0.5 mg/$m^3$), respectively. In the future, it is hoped that epidemiologic studies and environmental measurements will be conducted for GTS which occurs by inhalation of nicotine. If GTS is confirmed to occur by inhalation of nicotine, respiratory and dermal protective equipment must be distributed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.21 no.2 s.24
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• pp.357-364
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• 1988

By implementing epoch-making policies for industrial promotion, the national economy has made a remarkable development. As a result of such economic growth, industrial accidents and occupational diseases have become a serious problem in Korean society. In the presidential order for the execution of the Korean Labor Standard Law, neuritis and other diseases stemming from health impairments due to vibrations in industrial processes are designated to be dealt with as vibration diseases. In the case of vibration disease, industrial accident compensation is not effectively paid. In order to investigate the vibration hazards of rock-drill operation, the authors studied the subjective symptoms and performed physical function tests on a total of 79 persons (vibration exposed group) who used rock-drills, and 39 persons (control group) who did not use rock-drills at anthracite mines. The results of the physical function test were as follosws : 1. The right hand was more affected by white finger than the left hand. 2. Independent variables such as duration of rock-drill operation, age, drinking and smoking were indentified as statistically significant factors for the occurrence of white finger. 3. In the pain sense threshold, the group with Raynaud's phenomenon showed a statistically higher level than that of the control group. 4. The skin temperature of the group with Raynaud's phenomenon was lower than that of the control group. The recovery time of skin temperature aftr cooling was delayed compared with the value of the control group.